Typically, a DHCP server grants to a requesting host a lease to an IP address for a specified, typically rather long time. If a subscriber host associated with a provider network is terminated by the provider (e.g., change of authorization) prior to expiration of the DHCP lease, typically the DHCP client at the host will not send to the DHCP server a communication to release the IP address, which results in the DHCP server believing the IP address to be unavailable for use by other hosts until the lease expires.